Mental health issues among medical students is not a new concept. Many of us are aware that those in the medical profession, including med students, are at increased risk of burnout, depression, and suicidal ideation due to a multitude of factors including sleep deprivation as well as high stress and demands. However, recently a new systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA reveals that approximately 1 in 4 medical students experience depression; a rate thats higher than the general population. ​Specifically the review which analyzed studies from over 43 countries revealed "the overall prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among medical students was 27.2%, and the overall prevalence of suicidal ideation was 11.1%. Among medical students who screened positive for depression, 15.7% sought psychiatric treatment."

Mental illness on university and college campuses has been of increasing attention recently and as a result, many schools have begun searching for ways to better support the mental well-being of their student body. One initiative that has arisen out of this is ‪#‎MyDefinition‬, a poster and ‪‎social media‬ campaign that originated at UNB Fredericton.

Through the use of photographs and personal stories from students, the campaign strives to demonstrate the wide spectrum of mental health disorders, in addition to increasing awareness of mental health on campus, and encouraging students to seek support and help by combating stigma and letting students know they are not alone. Most especially, the project also emphasizes the message that though "mental health is a part of me, it does not define me".

"Recovery isn’t black and white. It’s not a simple classification of sick and recovered. It’s a spectrum, and a lifelong battle. It doesn’t come overnight. Every day I still battle with my mental illness. Some days I struggle to get out of bed, sometimes I dissolve into a puddle of tears when someone looks at me wrong, but those days are outnumbered by the days that are easy" - Caitlin (Dal Student).

To learn more about the project and read student's stories of their own lived experiences with mental health visit: http://www.mydefinition.ca/

From noise-cancelling headphones for exams to tea time to mindful meditation to therapy dogs, reptiles and even kangaroos and skunks, universities across Canada are working hard to combat stress on campus and prevent mental health issues like #anxiety and #depression.

As some colleges and universities in the GTA have noted, "the mind can’t learn if the heart is troubled", and so many faculty are now seeing it as their job to not only teach students english and organic chemistry, but to coach them on developing vital emotional skills that foster #resiliency and greater mental well-being.

“"Stress is being exacerbated by the fierce competition for university and jobs, but technology has had an effect too,” said Rhodes scholar Kaleem Hawa, 21 of Trinity College. “We need a replacement for being on the computer because we’re making more friends, but they’re shallower. And we’re more isolated than we’ve ever been.”

But in many ways, student stress is a reflection of a larger, distracted, over-stimulated society, says Victoria College’s Kelley Castle, “so we’re trying to calm the culture and create a place where people talk face-to-face, a climate of conversation,” she said. “It’s like emotional CPR.”"

While there has been a considerable increase in the news surrounding student mental well-being in both Canada and the United States, this infographic from TopCounselingSchools.org really puts the growing issue of mental health issues including depression, stress, and suicide amongst our college and university students into perspective. Take a look now!

"Imagine you are an ambitious new worker at a powerhouse institution. Your job performance is soaring, but you frankly work like a dog. Your weeks top out at 80 hours, you get maybe a single 24-hour block of time off every 7 days, you work weekends, and you often work up to 30 hours straight in one stint, sleep at work, and eat exclusively from food options in the building. You rarely see the sun, your mother currently has to take care of your cat for you, and you are home so infrequently you cancelled your Internet and cable."

Sound familiar? For many new physicians and residents, this is the road working in the medical profession can frequently take. However, the problem of such a scenario is that it is the perfect environment to become overwhelmed, stressed, and eventually burnt out and becoming depressed, or even suicidal.

On the bright side, many residency programs and medical facilities are working hard to focus on resident wellness and put in place services to support their learners and staff. However, as this article points out, often these supports tend to be offered at the resident's home school or hospital, leading to fears and worries related to confidentiality. What is needed instead, as the physician who authored the article points out, are supports and mental health professionals to talk to who are not affiliated with their colleagues or place of employment.

Do you agree? Would you feel comfortable seeking mental health support at your place of employment?

When York University student Navi Dhanota requested academic supports in the context of mental health issues, York requested that she provide the specific diagnosis, which she thought was unnecessary and only perpetuated stigmatization and the fear of other affected students seeking additional supports. As a result, Dhanota filed a human rights complaint against York's requirement and finally after a two year long battle, a settlement has been reached. Thanks to Dhanota, the university's guidelines have been rewritten and now students at York no longer have to label their mental illness in order to gain access to on-campus supports. While Dhanota's determination and advocacy efforts have made a huge impact on York University, it is also paving the way for other schools, as it encourages other universities and campuses across the country to reconsider their own similar policies.

"Post-secondary schools shouldn’t require students to name their disability for fair access to supports, a government-funded report advises. It’s not only about peoples’ privacy rights. A medical diagnosis is just unnecessary for schools to provide critical help, says Michael Condra, a psychologist and lead author of Academic Accommodations, which outlined ways to make campuses more accessible. Labelling a complex illness such as depression, which can manifest in many different ways, won’t do as much to help a student as a doctor noting exactly how the illness affects that person’s ability to learn, says Condra."